KwaZulu-Natal’s agriculture minister, Mtholephi Mthimkulu, has ordered a forensic investigation into Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife following revelations of alleged financial irregularities and an adverse audit report.
Mthimkhulu, addressing the media in Durban on Monday, said that accounting firm Deloitte and Touche will be undertaking the forensic investigation into the organisation that has control of most of the province’s wildlife parks, including the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park (formerly the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) and the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park.
Mthimkhulu said that an amount of R22-million cannot be accounted for.
He said Deloitte & Touche’s investigation will cover corporate credit cards, supply-chain management issues, personnel, company houses, corporate government, revenue collected and sources of revenue.
Advocate Modidima Mannya, provincial agriculture and environmental affairs head of department, said: ”We cannot say whether it has been stolen or not … the money is just unaccounted for and an investigation would establish what has happened to the money. It is not missing, but unaccounted for.”
The provincial treasury has granted permission for the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife board to be relieved of its accounting duties for a period of four months while the forensic investigation is under way.
Mthimkhulu did not say when or if the investigation has started, but that it will continue for the next three months. The investigations relate to the 2006/07 financial year.
Any person identified for alleged irregularities will face disciplinary, civil and criminal action, he said.
Mthimkhulu said initially the Auditor General had done an audit and released an adverse report, which had concerned him. Mannya was then instructed to look into the matter and a diagnostic investigation began.
Mthimkhulu denied media reports that the investigation was politically motivated. ”I find it a little bit weird for people to suggest a political motive … this has nothing to do with politics … I have a responsibility to make sure taxpayers’ money is spent well … the department transfers R300-million to KZN Wildlife each year.”
Jeff Gaisford, spokesperson for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, was unavailable to comment on the matter. — Sapa